Signaling system for vehicles



Jan. 30, 1940. c. E. BARTENS SIGNALING SYSTEM FOR VEHICLES Filed April 2, 1937 x My m s. T Y N S W N w b m E A H @U .r a R A B i I 0 W P0 W n ql F v e Z m i 9 Z a L c G/ Q a Patented Jan. 30, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application April 2, 1937, Serial No. 134,603 In Denmark April 3, 1936 2 Claims.

For indicating changes of the direction and speed of movement of vehicles it has been proposed to employ signaling systems comprising signaling devices of opposite significance, e. g. red and green electrical glow lamps, arranged at the front and rear on both sides of the vehicle, and to connect such signaling devices to a common supply through switches and the like, arranged in such a manner that the signaling devices of one significance on one side of the vehicle will automatically get into action when the signaling devices oi the opposite significance on the other side of the vehicle are brought into action by the operator.

It has also been proposed to supplement signaling systems of the said kind by further signaling devices which are also arranged both at the front and the rear of the vehicle and on both sides of the same and are adapted, when all the first named signaling devices are out of action, to be brought into action all of them simultaneously, 9. g. when the brakes are applied. The last named signaling devices are usually in the form of yellow lamps, the circuits of which are closed by a brake-operated switch.

In a known construction the signaling system is thus arranged that the yellow lamps get into action on both sides of the vehicle when the brakes are applied irrespective of whether braking is efiected with or without a simultaneous change of the driving direction. This may in some cases be a drawback, as circumstances or adapted rules of driving may make it necessary to construct the signaling system in such a manner that when braking is effected during a change of direction yellow light should appear on the side of the vehicle facing away from the side towards which the change of direction is efiected. In order that the signaling system may be arranged so as to be able to fulfill the last named condition, if it is made, the circuits of all signaling devices must be controlled in dependence on one another, and the present invention has for its object to adopt such modifications of the known constructic-n referred to that this is rendered possible. According to the invention all the signaling circuits are controlled by means of a single switch having at least three fixed contacts and three corresponding positions, each of the two outer contacts being interposed in one of two circuits both. containing signaling devices of opposite significance on the two sides of the vehicle and both adapted to be closed separately by means of the switch, while the central fixed contact is interposed in the circuit of the signaling devices, e. g. the yellow lamps, adapted to indicate braking, so that the circuits of all signaling devices of the last named kind are closed when the switch is in its central position. If the switch is turned so that one of the said other circuits is closed, the

yellow lamps will not be able to get into action.

If the signaling system is to be arranged in such a manner that it will indicate braking during a change of direction, e. g. in cases where red and green light is employed for indicating a change of direction, by extinguishing the green light and bringing the yellow lamps into action instead of the green ones without simultaneously extinguishing the red lamps, switches are interposed E in. the supply circuits of the green lamps which switches, on the operation of a switch that in the known construction referred to is operated, when applying the brakes, for closing a supply circuit l or the yellow lamps, are automatically operated in such a manner that the supply is switched over from the green lamps to the yellow lamps at the different places of the vehicle. The system may be thus arranged that when braking during the indication of a change of direction, as well the yellow as the red signaling lamps are lighted on both sides of the vehicle, both at the front and at the rear, or alternatively in such a manner that the red signaling lamps are lighted on one side, and the yellow signaling lamps on the other side of the vehicle, the yellow lamps being automatically replaced by the green ones, when braking is stopped.

Finally, the invention relates to the provision in the supply connections to the signaling devices, e. the red lamps, for indicating changes of the driving direction, of electromagnetic controlling relays for direction indicators (wings) of well known kind.

Further details of the invention will appear from the following description of the circuit diagram of a signaling system for an automobile, shown in the appended drawing.

a are red, 1) green and yellow signaling lamps arranged on each side of an automobile both at the front and at the rear, e. g. on the top of the front and rear mud guards of the automobile. These signaling lamps are fed from a battery d by way of a switch c having three fixed confacts I, g and h and three corresponding positions in which it establishes connection either to all yellow lamps c, viz, when the circuit is established over the contact 9, or to the red lamps on one and the green lamps on the other side of the automobile or vice versa, depending on whether the circuit is established over the contact I or h.

The purpose of the switch m which is associated with the brake pedal of the automobile in such a manner as to be automatically closed when the brake pedal is depressed, is that all the yellow 5 lamps shall get into action when braking, the supply circuit of these lamps being closed over the switch e, the contact 9, the switch m and the lead Z from which latter the current branches to the different yellow lamps c and from these flows to the frame n of the automobile which is connected to one terminal of the battery d.

The red lamps on the one side and the green lamps on the other side of the automobile are connected together, forming two sets of connected red and green lamps. These two sets of red and green lamps are connected to the contacts f and h respectively. It will be directly understood that when the switch is set on one of the contacts I or h, the red lamps on the one side and the green lamps on the other side of the automobile will receive current and vice versa.

Between the contacts I and h a signaling lamp is interposed which is e. g. mounted on the instrument board of the automobile and receives current whenever the switch e is set on one of these contacts, viz. from the battery over the switch e, the contact f or h. in question, the other of these contacts and the lamps connected to the same so that the signaling lamp will burn in series with the lamps, which shall not give a signal in the circumstances. The lamp 0 is thus selected that in order to light clearly itrequires a smaller current than is necessaryfor causing the lamps, with which it is connected in series when signaling, to light.

If braking is eifected at the moment when or directly after a change of direction has been signaled so that the switch e is set on one of the contacts I or h, the closing of the switch 1n caused by braking will not make the yellow lamps light. This may be considered a drawback, seeing that an indication of braking is usually effected by lighting yellow lamps. This drawback may be remedied by interposing a switch p into each of the connections from the contact pieces k to the green lamps b, each of these switches being automatically controlled by the operating means for the brake in question or the switch 111 in such a manner that when braking is effected, it interrupts the connection to the green lamps and closes a connection to the yellow lamps. Thereby the green lamps are extinguished while the yellow lamps receive current and light. The red lamps on the side of the automobile where these lamps had been brought into action when indicating the change of direction, will continue to light. However, simultaneously with the yellow lamps also the red lamps on the other side of the automobile are brought into action so that braking during change of direction or after a change of direction has been signaled, is marked by both red and yellow lamps lighting both at the front and at the rear on both sides of the automobile.

If thus the switch is set on the contact h, and braking is thereafter effected whereby the switch m is closed and the switch p is switched over, this will result in various circuits being closed, viz. a circuit from the battery it over the switch 6, the contact h, the red signaling lamps a on the right hand in the drawing, and to frame 11, a second circuit from the battery d over the switch e, the contact 71., the switch connected thereto, the corresponding connection q, the yellow lamps on both sides of the vehicle, and to frame n, and a third circuit following the second circuit from the battery d to the said connection q and thereafter passing to the second connection q, the corresponding switch :0, and the left hand red lamps a connected thereto, and to frame n. Accordingly, the extinction of the green lamps b caused by braking will result in all red and yellow lamps getting into action.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is:

1. A signaling system for vehicles, comprising a set of first, second and third signaling devices on the right and left sides of a vehicle, a threeway switch having three poles and an arm, a circuit connecting one pole with the first signaling device on the right side of the vehicle and with the second signaling device on the left side of the vehicle, a circuit connecting another pole of said switch with the second signaling device on the right side of the vehicle and with the first signaling device on the left side of the vehicle, a circuit including a brake-actuated switch for connecting the remaining pole of the switch with the third signaling device on both sides of the vehicle, a circuit including the source of energy for connecting all of said signaling device to the arm of said three-pole switch, a two-way switch having an arm and one pole interposed in the circuit connecting the three-way switch to the second signaling device on the right side of the vehicle and the other pole connected to the third signaling device on both sides, and a similar switch interposed in the circuit connecting the three-way switch to the second signaling devices on the left side of the vehicle, means mechanically connecting the arms of said two-way switches with the brake-actuated switch for actuation in synchronism with the brake-actuated switch to break the connection to the second signaling device on both sides of the vehicle and energize the third signaling device on both sides of the vehicle upon closing the brake-actuated switch.

2. A signal device for vehicles comprising red, green and yellow signaling lights on each side of the vehicle, a source of electrical energy, a. three-way switch, a movable contact member in said switch for selecting any one of the three ways of same, a brake-actuated switch, a circuit including the brake-actuated switch and one way of the three-way switch and the said source of electrical energy in series and connecting the said source with the yellow signaling lights on either side of the vehicle, when the said way is selected by the said movable contact member, another circuit including the second way of the said threeway switch and the source of the electrical energy in series and connecting the said source with the red signaling light on one side of the vehicle and the green light on the other side of the vehicle in parallel, when the said second way is selected by the said movable contact member, a further circuit including the third way of the three-way switch and the source of electrical energy in series and connecting the said source with the green signaling light on the said one side of the vehicle and the red signaling light on the said other side of the vehicle, when the said third way of the three-way switch is selected by the said movable contact member, a switch disposed in the circuit connection of the green signaling light on one side of the vehicle and a second switch disposed in the circuit connection of the green signaling light on the other side of the vehicle the said two switches being mechanically coupled to the brake actuated switch so as to interrupt the circuit of the green signaling lamps, when the brake-actuated switch is closed.

CARL EMIL BARTENS. 

